Reference Source of the Week

Writer's Market 

Reference Section
Call Number PN 161 .W83

Are you writing for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)? Interested in getting published? Writer's Market is "the most trusted guide to getting published." Updated yearly, this book provides contact information for literary agents; consumer and trade magazines; book publishers; and literary awards. It also gives information on how to write book proposals and query letters; how to build a brand; and how to market your work.

My favorite aspect of this resource is the financial information. Under the a publisher's information, it shows the average pay for their writers. There is also a section titled "How Much Should I Charge?" It gives a breakdown of how much to charge per hour, or per project, for a variety of writing jobs--including advertising copywriting, blogging, ghostwriting, and translation. Know your worth!

Review by Monika Chavez, SWC Librarian 

Reference Book of the Week

County and City Extra : Special Historical Edition, 1790-2010 

Edited by Deirdre A. Gaquin and Mary Meghan Ryan 

Lanham, MD : Bernan Press, 2015 

Call Number: Reference HA214 .C686 2015 

The County and City Extras series offers up-to-date annual statistical information for each city (with populations of 25,000 or more), county, state, metropolitan area and congressional district.

For historical census information, County and City Extra : Special Historical Edition offers data from as early as 1790 through 2010.

The special edition is divided into four sections as follows:

• Part A: Gives an overview of national data taken from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis 
• Part B: Provides data similar to that in Part A, but is more in depth to include the fifty states and the District of Columbia 
• Part C: Includes each county's population from as early as 1790, or the date of its origin through 2010 
• Part D: Illustrates historical populations of cities with 100,000 or more (in 2010) through the use of tables For historical census information,this resource provides easy to read charts and provides notes and definitions at the end of each section. 

Review by Tanya Carr, SWC Librarian 

Reference Book of the Week

The World Encyclopedia of Flags
by Alfred Znamierowski
Lorenz Books, 2013
Reference Section, Call Number CR 101 Z53 2013

Are you interested in vexillology? Yes? You are in good company. Dr. Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory was fascinated with flags, as well, so much so, that he had a long running blog, Fun with Flags. However, if you are in the library, you can also check out one of our reference books, The World Encyclopedia of Flags by Alfred Znamierowski, Reference Section CR 101 Z53 2013.

The book has two main parts; flags through the ages and the world of flags. The first part gives a brief background of the history of flags, the type of flags, and flag families. There were decorated staffs, field signs, etc before flags, but the first flags possibly appeared in China after silk were invented, then moved through India, Persia then to Rome and to the rest of Europe and the world. The early flags represented rulers, later cities had their own flags then at the 18th century nations started to create their flags. Additionally, the military, navy, the government, and organizations, parties, etc. have their own flags in the modern age. The book gives a thorough examination of the physical characteristics of the different flags. The flag families section gives interesting information about similarities among the world nations' flags, and the connections by history or geography, or interestingly sometimes there are no connections at all.

This is a brief sample of some of the similar flags with no connections, from a blog entry: https://www.newsonaut.com/countries-with-almost-nothing-in-common-but-their-flags.

In the second part of the book, the nations' flags are organized geographically, and a map is provided at the beginning of each sections. The short write ups of the flags are about the colors' meanings, and dates of the adoption of the flags, which gives a short history of the country, as well.

 The book contains a detailed bibliography of vexillological books in several languages, and a list of vexillological journal titles.

You can check your knowledge of flags by doing this fun quiz. If you don't know the answer right away, feel free to look it up in the book!

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz3838392bf0990.html

Review by Erika Prange, SWC Librarian 

Profiles of American Colleges

Profiles of American Colleges, 35th ed.
Hauppauge, New York : Barron's Educational Series, Inc., c2019.
Reference Section.
Call Number: L901 F5 2019

Hot off the presses! The annual Barron’s tome on college information is out.

The guide has smaller sections on finding a college, paying for college, and what it takes to be accepted. The next section is an alphabetical listing of academic majors with lists of colleges in the guide that have that offer that degree.

The majority of the tome is dedicated to the actual college listings. This section is organized alphabetically by the state the college is located in. Each listing includes a brief overview with location, enrollment size, basic costs, and contact information. The more detailed profile includes information on accreditation, student body demographics, faculty to student ratios, and more. The most detailed sections cover areas of academic study and services offered. Academic study lists the level of degrees offered (doctorate or not, BS, MS, etc) and areas of study in more detail.

The Services section outlines what support systems the college offers students. DSS services, library, tutoring, and any special programs are listed here. Specific admission requirements such as testing and deadlines are listed along with the contact information for the admissions office. Each profile ends with information regarding financial aid available as well as the FAFSA code for the college.

An aside note, even given the title Profiles of American Colleges, there are listings of colleges in Canada as well as a section on studying abroad. For students just starting their search this may not be the best place to start. Once they have a list in mind and can look up specific colleges then this reference is more useful.

The layout may seem a bit overwhelming to new users, so the straight alphabetical listing by college name at the back may be the best way to use this source.

Review by Sarah Way, SWC Librarian

Reference Book of the Week

 
Women in American History : A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection 
Peg A. Lamphier and Rosanne Welch, Editors
ABC Clio, 2017
4 volumes
Reference Section Call Number: HQ1410 .W6468 2017

This four-volume encyclopedia provides significantly more information on women’s role in American history than a typical reference book. In addition to hundreds of biographic entries - from Abigail Adams and Catherine Ferguson to Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga - it offers a lot of content on the history of feminism and women’s organizations from the 17th century through the present day.

Each section opens with a historical overview of the time period, covering gender roles and movements, legal issues, and other areas ranging from domestic violence to fashion.

The encyclopedia contains primary documents, such as women’s portraits, personal letters, newspaper articles, and recipes.

This is a great source for biographies, primary sources, and more.

Review by Svetlana Kondratenko, SWC Librarian

Book of the Week

Literature and Its Times 
Moss, Joyce ed., Wilson, George ed.
Detroit, MI: Gale, 1997.
Call Number: Reference Section PN 50 L574 1997 vol 1-5

It may seem funny to recommend a reference source from 1997, but trust me this one is worth it.

This 5 volume set looks at works of literature through the lens of the times they were written in. The volumes are arranged along a timeline and cover works from Euripides in 1400 B.C.E through Margaret Atwood in 2000. Each volume has a timeline that shows events of the era and the works that overlap those events.

You may think you know all there is to know about The Crucible, or Ethan Frome but believe me there is more to learn! Did you know that post-partum depression was a major influence on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper all the way back in 1892?

There are 300 pieces of literature covered in this set. The next time you are looking to dig a bit deeper into literature be sure to take a look at Literature and Its Times on the shelves in the Reference collection.

Review by Sarah Way, SWC Librarian

Internet Resource - WolframAlpha

This website is a computational knowledge engine whose purpose is to make all systemic knowledge immediately computable by anyone. As of now, Wolfram|Alpha contains 10+ trillion pieces of data, 50,000+ types of algorithms and models, and linguistic capabilities for 1000+ domains.

The Example button will provide you with a sampling of the computable possibilites in 29 diverse areas, including Socioeconomic Data, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Money and Finance, Statistics and Data Analysis, Food & Nutrition, Health & Medicine and others.

Or search the free text search window, give it a try, type in a date, city name, a calculation or ask for the median wage of an accountant.

Want info about swine flu? Go to a reliable source!

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

Swine Flu and You: San Diego County http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/Portal/News/swine_flu_cdc_sd.html

Pandemic Flu: Individuals and Family Planning
http://www.sdpandemicfacts.org/individuals.htm
No matter what happens with the swine flu, it may be useful to learn about how you can prepare for a pandemic.

What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

How does swine flu spread?

Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

How can someone with the flu infect someone else?

Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?

First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Are there medicines to treat swine flu?

Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?

People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?

Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

--

From "Swine Influenza and You: Questions and Answers" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), updated 4/26/09, 6 pm EDT. Read the entire document at: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm

New Reference Collection Resource

New to the Southwestern College library's reference collection is the two volume set "Encyclopedia of African American Women Writers" edited by Yolanda Williams Page.

The encyclopedia has entries on 168 African American (and some Caribbean) female authors who published works from 1746 to 2006. The writers featured range from the established and popular to the overlooked or newly emerging and include Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, Michelle Cliff, Edwidge Danticat, and Jamaica Kincaid.

Each A-to-Z entry, profiles the writer, discusses major works and includes a bibliography consisting of a list of the authors works and a list of studies of those works.

The Encyclopedia of African American Women Writers call number (PS153.N5 E49 2007) can be found in the Reference Collection located behind the Reference Desk.